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A tree knelt in praise

Anil Netto
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On this historic day, the Perak state assembly held an emergency sitting under a tree, 200 metres away from the state government complex, after the people’s reps were prevented from sitting in their usual venue.

Democracy was returned to the people, gathered in a solemn assembly beneath this humble but majestic tree, its outstretched branches reaching out to the heavens while embracing and providing shade for the multitude below.

Thanks to Rain Tree for sending in this poem by Hamza Yusuf:

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The historic "Pokok Demokrasi" - now part of Ipoh's folklore (Photo by Jong)

A tree knelt in praise

I know that I shall never see
A poem that bows quite like our tree
A tree who like us loved to pray
In adoration every day

A tree who humbly knelt in praise
To God and never chose to raise
Itself above the other trees
Instead remained as if on knees

A tree who gave our scholars shade
And never asked that it be paid
A tree whose needles never hurt
But gently fell upon the dirt

A tree whose worth cannot be told
Or ever lent or bought with gold
A tree who showed us all its height
With God by bowing with delight

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LIVE: Perak assembly holds historic sitting under trees

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Live coverage tomorrow: All eyes on Perak

Anil Netto
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state-secretariat-building

2302: All’s quiet in ‘sleepy’ Ipoh tonight. It’s been raining the whole evening, says my contact in Ipoh. At Ground Zero, FRU trucks are parked in front of the state secretariat/assembly building.

Even the MB’s residence is exceptionally quiet. Not even a ‘ghost’ in sight. Where’s everyone?

In just over eight hours, another drama will begin in Ipoh, the latest chapter in the constitutional crisis that has captured the attention of Malaysia.

With a couple of contacts in Ipoh providing me updates, I hope to provide some modest live coverage from about 8.00am tomorrow. If you are in Ipoh as well, do send in your comments and eye-witness reports if you see or hear anything on the ground.

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Grim times for electronics sector

Anil Netto
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Sam G, who works in the electronics sector, shares with us the grim outlook in the industry and the ruthless way workers – and even management staff – are being retrenched:

…. it is REALLY, REALLY BAD now. I was at the USM EKSPEN 09. Only 11 companies were there having open interviews! This is one Expo to get companies to interview graduating USM students!

I have been retrenched twice in four months, first by the largest lab equipment manufacturer in the world, and the second time, by a NanoTech equipment manufacturing company.

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Drama in Brickfields

Anil Netto
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In case you missed it, here’s what happened when a group of people turned up to lodge police reports in Brickfields yesterday, courtesy of Malaysiakini.

Malaysia’s economy takes a dive

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gdp

Uh-oh, the bottom’s fallen out Source: Statistics Department

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Ringgit weakens against the US dollar and Yen

Buckle up, folks! We are in for some tough times.

Malaysia’s economy took a dive in the fourth quarter as GDP stood on the brink of negative territory, growing by just by 0.1 per cent, compared to 4.7 per cent in the third quarter.

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Perak Speaker calls for emergency sitting on 3 March

Anil Netto
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sivakumar

Perak Speaker V Sivakumar calls for an emergency sitting of the state assembly Photo by KK

The emergency sitting is to vote on two motions: to affirm support for Nizar as the MB and to seek a dissolution of the state assembly, paving the way for fresh polls.

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Nationalise the Malaysian highways

Anil Netto
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So the government has put off the highway toll hike to the end of the year.

But before you rejoice, think about this: the government will have to pay RM287m in compensation to the concessionaires:

  • Plus – RM195m
  • Sprint – RM36m
  • Akleh – RM27m
  • Besraya – RM9m
  • NPE – RM20m

That’s our money going straight into the concessionaires’ pockets. Easy money for doing nothing.

By the way, Plus Expressways Berhad made a profit before tax of RM1.5 billion for the year ended 31 December 2008 – up from RM1.3 billion the previous year.

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Inflation lower but food prices remain high

Anil Netto
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cpi

Source: Statistics Department, Malaysia

Inflation may have dropped to 3.9 per cent in January 2009 in line with the fall in consumer demand and the end of the commodity price bubble. But even though the agriculture commodity bubble has burst, food prices remain high with the consumer price index showing a 9.8 per cent rise in January for food. (The food and non-alcoholic beverages component contributes over 80 per cent of the 3.9 per cent rise in the CPI index.) Imagine, the index for rice, bread and other cereals has shot up by 18 per cent.

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Disgraceful scenes in Parliament lobby

Anil Netto
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The ruckus in the Parliament lobby where a group of angry Umno Youth supporters confronted Karpal this afternoon was disgraceful.

DAP MP for Segambut Lim Lip Eng alleged that he was assaulted and hit a number of times on the face and his body.

This incident reveals a breach of parliamentary security. Why did DAP MPs have to come to Karpal’s rescue? What happened to the security personnel on duty?

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